I'll never leave your side again
by MaeglinRumil
Summary: PG only because of the pairing. This is shishi, so if you don't like it, don't read... There's also a character death and its a bit dark.


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Title: I'll never leave your side again

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Author: angel zeniko-chan

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Email: zeni24@hotmail.com

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Rating: PG13 only cuz its a bit dark and there is yaoi in it. At the end, it's complete sap.

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Summary: After Pikachu's funeral, Gary finds himself seeing the true side of Ash. This story mostly revolves around Ash and Gary. A bit AU. Takes place after Ash and Pikachu beat Lance in the Orange League.

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Author's Notes: My first palletshipping!!! Please read and review!!

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Disclaimer: Pokemon does not belong to me. It belongs to Satoshi Tajiri...

*** change of POV or time gap

"speaking"

'thinking'

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I'll never leave you side again.

By: angel zeniko-chan

Ages:

Ash: 13

Gary: 13

Ash took out the camping tool he had been carrying since his birth. It was the only thing he had ever gotten from his parents. They'd left him and if Professor Oak hadn't been so kind, he woujldn't have been found and taken care of for so many years.

Back to his tool... He knew what it's purpose was for. It was just there. And so Ash found a purpose for it. 

A knife.

AKA: A pain-take awayer.

It took away the emotional pain and created physical pain. Not that Ash minded. It took away everything else.

And he needed it more then anything today.

He had just battled with his rival, Gary- and lost.

Being unable to bear the gloatings of his triumphiant rival, he picked up his fallen Pikachu, his first and very best pokemon, and hightailed it out of there.

He ran to Veridian fast enough to get his best friend to the Pokemon Center. But it wasn't so easy. Pikachu was bearing a very fatal wound. A hard blow to the head. Usually, it wouldn't have affected much and a pokemon would heal right away, but this one... this one was different. 

He remembered it very clearly, although he didn't want to. 

He heard the crack. 

Then he saw Pikachu fall. 

He felt his heart stop...

He felt everything stop...

Time stopped...

Then Ash's world crashed.

"Pikachu is dead." Nurse Joy told him after walking out of the emergency room a few hours later. She looked pale and there were deep bags under her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Ash sat there. For how long, he didn't know. He got up a while later and took his fallen pokemon in his arms. "You can't! Pikachu, you can't die! You can't leave me!!" He sobbed, not caring what anyone said, how anyone looked at him.

Nurse Joy looked away. It wasn't the first time that this had happened, but this boy, he looked as if his heart had been ripped out. And there was nothing that anyone coujld do about it. "I'm sorry." She repeated.

The black haired boy just sat on the ground, crying his heart out. He remembered the first day they met. They didn't get along very well. In fact, Pikachu refused to do anything Ash said. He refused to do anything with the boy.

But during the years, their friendship grew. It blossomed like an early bud in the late winter. It was always harsh, especially with Team Rocket around every corner trying to steal Pikachu, but they made it through. They were th best of friends, never leaving the other's side. 

Ash had always imagined that he and Pikachu would leave together. That they would never be seperated. And now, Pikachu had been the first to leave. He was the first to leave his best friend's side.

Everything was a blur. They had a funeral for Ash's Pikachu. Everyone who knew the duo came. Even Team Rocket. After knowing Ash for so long, he was like a brother to him. They even cried when Pikachu was buried deep into the ground.

Other then normal people, there were all the Gym Leaders, all Ash's friends. Even Drake, who had his dragonite beaten by Pikachu. There were even people who Ash didn't know, but had been touched and amazed by the bond between the trained and his pokemon.

Of the group, there was Gary, who had felt guilty because Pikachu had died right after battling him and his Eevee. He tried apologizing, but Ash simply didn't listen.

He ignored everyone. Dressed in black, like everyone else, he was the only one who was not misty-eyed. He had cried all his tears already, and even if he tried, there was not a single tear left in him.

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Being me, I never thought

I would find a friend like you

A friend who understands me

and one who is so true

But on that day when we first met

You proved just how wrong I was

And I found out we're two of a kind

We click just because....

* Together as friends we stand

And nothing could get in our way

We've been through thick and thin

There is nothing we can't do

And with you by my side

We'll soar up into the sky

Forever and a day we stand

Together as best of friends

So when I'm feeling lone

I know that I can count on you

To be there when I need

all the comfort you can give

You've helped me find the courage inside

the strength to follow my dreams

I'll be there forever and ever

Until the end of time

Together as friends we stand

And nothing could get in our way

We've been through thick and thin

There is nothing we can't do

And with you by my side

We'll soar up into the sky

Forever and a day we stand

Together as best of friends

Forever and a day we stand

Together as best of friends

(This song was a project for the Cyber program in my school and I wrote it myself and would really appreciate it if you did not steal it. It's called **Best of Friends**. Thank you!)

"Wait for me, Pikachu..." He whispered to the wind, hoping that somehow it'll reach his beloved pokemon. "I'm coming..." Then he slipped away and walked deep into the woods.

Gary was the only one to see him leave. He followed, having someting that he could only tell Ash. He watched as the blakc-haired boy ran, his jet black hair shinging silkily in front of his eyes. Ash had a pretty good body for a 13-year-old. It was mostly due to the walking and vigorous training that he went through with his pokemon. 

Caught up in his own daydream, he hadn't noticed that the younger boy had stopped and had taken out a knife. He only snapped out of it when he saw the moonlight shining off the metal.

He gasped then jumped behind a tree and observed as the boy with black hair pulled up the sleeve of his left hand. He gasped again, seeing the deep gashes in the boy's skin.

Ash took out the knife and pressed it deep inside his skin. 'This is for you, Pikachu...' He thought. He watched his crimson blood drip to the ground. He was about to do it again when he heard a gasp coming from behind a tree. "Who is it?" He snarled, quickly putting the knife in his back pocket and shoving his sleeve down.

Gary stepped out of the shadows. "Hey Ash." He said quietly.

Ash looked at him with an odd expression on his face. Then there was nothing as Ash turned his back to Gary, silently taking the knife out again. "Hey..."

"How are you doing?" Gary asked, hesitatingly.

Ash smiled. 'I'll be good in a minute.' He thought, but what he said out loud was, "I'm fine." As normal as he could, he slashed at his wrist again, hoping that Gary had not seen it. 'It doesn't really matter if he did or not...'

"You're lying." Gary accused.

Ash didn't turn around, but watched his blood flow.

"You're not fine." Gary said, seeing the blood drip down Ash's arm as well. Then, faster then Pikachu using agility, he ran up to Ash, grabbed the knife and threw it away.

Ash didn't even register it, just like he didn't register Gary's apologies at the funeral.

Gary grabbed his shoujlders and rammed him into a tree.

Ash almost smiled. He welcomed the pain.

"Why?" Gary cried. "Why did you do that?" He yelled out, still holding onto Ash's shoulder and looking him in the eye.

Ash looked away from Gary's pleading eyes. He woujld need to cause more pain later, because Gary was the main reason he had started all of this. He loved his rival. Not a friendship love, but a love-love. A deep love which even Ash didn't understand completely. All he understood was that he felt attached to Gary somehow. He had found out a year ago that guys appealed to him, but the only one he had ever wanted was the guy with the flaming hair in front of him.

"It took away the pain..." was all he said. His voice sounded so raspy from not talking for a while and from crying.

"What pain?" Gary asked, looking in Ash's blank eyes. He always thought that Ash had been so happy, so carefree, so innocent. And although he knew how close Ash and his Pikachu was, it didn't seem like the only thing that Ash had hurt himself for.

"The pain of my pokemon leaving me..." Ash lied. It was only half true, because Pikachu wasn't the only one of Ash's team who had left him. Lapras left with it's family and so did Pidgeot and Butterfree. Charizard had felt because Ash was a bad trained. A lot of cuts were from that. Bulbasaur died in Ash's arms after defeating Giovanni for the last time, and so did Tauros.

Every last of Ash's pokemon died, until there was only Cyndaquil, Bayleaf and Totodile. 

"That's not it, is it?" Gary asked. He saw a deeper pain. Something that went beyond just his pokemon dying.

"There's also everytime you or Misty insult me, verytime I thought about my parents, everytime..." Ash trailed off.He just wasn't up to telling Gary the last part. "You were right. I'd never be a Pokemon Master. So just leave me alone." For all the pain he went through, Ash was surprisingly strong and he was able to push Gary away and stand up.

The red-haired boy stood there. Ash was hurting himself... because of him. Because he was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn't see Ash retrieve his kinfe and stood in front of Gary, holding the weapon loosely in his hand. "Goodbye, Gary. You won't be seeing me around anymore." He slashed at his left wrist, this time drawing more blood then Gary had deemed possible.

He got one wrist done before Gary snapped out of his reverie. "No!" He yelled and took the wrenched the knife out of Ash's hands before Ash could bring it down on the other wrist. Then he grabbed Ash by the waist and hugged him had. "God, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He sobbed in Ash's silky hair.

Ash was too weak to move, let alone complain. It felt too good.

Then Gary kissed him. Ash was too shocked at his rival to reply.

The older boy pulled away, but finding that Ash wasn't resisting, he kissed him again. This time, deeper and more persistant.

Ash let him pry his mouth open and he felt Gary's tongue probing the inside of his mouth. At that moment, he felt very weak because his legs suddenly felt numb. He fell back and Gary fell on top of him, still kissing the passive boy on the lips. Then his lips roamed down and he kissed Ash's neck before capturing Ash's lips again. He tasted sweet to him and the taste was so addictive that Gary simply couldn't get enough of it.

Ash kissed back. He just wanted this moment to never end, but he knew it would.

Gary pulled back, still cradling Ash's body in his arms. The black haired boy seemed so pale. His beautiful brown eyes were closed and he was so still. "Ash?" Gary asked softly. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. I love you..."

Then he felt someone wipe his tears away. "I love you too." Ash told him, smiling for the first time in many years. Then Ash's body got numb. He struggled to talk. "T-take care of m-my pokemon... as a last favour to me..."

Gary embraced his love one. "No! You're taklking as if you're going to die!"

Ash smiled. "Everyone dies eventually." Then he took Gary's face in his cold hands. "Don't do anything drastic... k?" He made Gary promise before he would drop it. "I won't let you..." He closed his eyes. He could feel Death floating up there, above the two boys.

"No matter what anyone says, it's not your fault, and I still love you..." Ash told him. "Tell everyone... that I'm sorry. That it's not their fault either..."

Gary cried in his chest, but Ash couldn't feel it anymore.

"One more thing..." Ash started, fighting to talk. "Look at... me..." He told Gary. Gary lifted his tear-streaked face up to see Ash.

"Place me... beside.. Pikachu... and rem... ember..." It was getting harder and harder for him to speak. "re... member... live for me... you'll see... me 'gain... I love... you... Gary..."

Ash's hands dropped from Gary's cheeks and his breathing slowed down. As Gary watched, his chest stopped moving and there was a peaceful smile on his love's face.

"You can't die!" Gary cried. "I love you!"

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"I love you too..." The wind seemed to say.

A lonely red haired boy gather a smaller black haired boy in his arms and cried for the love he had gain... and lost. All in the same day.

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One standing figure stood in front of a tombstone. It was decorated with flowers, from all the people who knew and admired him. On the stone, it read:

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Ash Satoshi Ketchum

1987-2001

Companion, league champion, friend, trainer,

We will all miss you. Rest in peace.

The boy's tears fell as he cried for his love. The wind blew and he felt as if ghastly fingers wiped the tears away.

_"Live for me..."_ The wind said.

Gary thought he heard a faint _"Pikapi!"_ as he watched two ghastly figures chase each other around, happily. One, a thirteen-year-old boy and the other his faithful pikachu.

"Ash, I'll fulfill your dream of becoming a pokemon trainer. Watch over me." Gary said as he stood in front of the tombstone. Then blowing a kiss, he walked away.

He didn't see the white boy stop and turn, watching him leave. 

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"Think he'll do it, Pikachu?" The figure asked.

_"Pika!"_ His Pikachu leapt into his arms.

_"I think so too."_ Ash watched Gary walk to complet the dream he never got a chance to fulfill. _"I think so too."_

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Now 18, Gary stood proudly at the Stadium. He was battling Jason, for the Pokemon Master title. Both had only one pokemon left. "Go Umbreon!" He released his very first pokemon. "Win it for Ash!"

Jason, his competitor, released a Feraligatr.

"Faint attck!" Gary called with such passion in his voice that Umbreon had complete faith and executed a perfect Faint attack, which immediately took out the rest of Feraligatr's hit points. 

"And Gary Oak from Pallet Town wins the match!" The announcer cried out as everyone in the stands cheered. "He is now the youngest Pokemon Master in history!"

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An angel, lying on a cloud watched everything that happened down below. His wings fluttered as he smiled. "Congratulations Gary... my love."

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Gary lifted his head as he heard his love whisper something from heaven. 

_"Congratulations Gary... my love."_

Smiling, he stepped down from the stage and reached his sister, May, his grandfather, Misty and Brock who were waiting on the sidelines for him.

"Congrats, Gary." Misty and Brock said smiling.

"I can't believe it!" May squealed. "My brother! The youngest Pokemon Master in history!" She hugged him tightly.

"Congradulations." His grandfather told him proudly.

Gary smiled and looked up to the sky. "I did it all for you, Ash. I did it for you."

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Now at the age of 85, Gary lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling before him. His pokemon had died many years ago. He had spent his life as a Pokemon Master, always feeling his loved one at his side, no matter how harsh the path.

Now he was going to join his love. He could feel Death at his door, and slowly turning the metal doorknob. He welcomed it now. He had lived for Ash. Fulfilled Ash's dream.

He had never gotten married, content with his life with his pokemon and Ash's. He never regretted living. Every week he would visit Ash's grave, telling him everything that had happened the beginning of the week. He could feel Ash. Could feel his presence. He guardian angel.

Now he was going to join his angel.

Death glided to his bed.

Gary gave one last smile as his heart stopped. "I'm coming, Ash. Wait for me.'

An 18-year-old Ash flew over to Gary's side. He placed one hand on his love's forehead and pulled.

The spirit of another 18-year-old boy joined him. "Ash!" He cried, his eyes filling with tears.

"Sh..." Ash hugged the boy. "I'm here. I'll never leave your side again." He said as he and Gary flew to heaven, where all their pokemon were waiting for them.

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"I'll never leave your side again."

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The End

zeniko-san: how was that? I think I write too much sap... it seems so easy... I dunno... Oh well, please review!!!


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